Captain Liam
by AngelDelia
Summary: Three girls on a ship. Totally AU


Title: Captain Liam  
  
Author: Angel&Delia  
  
Email: deliachase@hotmail.com  
  
Rating: PG-13 (NC-17 later parts)  
  
Category: Angst, romance, AU   
  
Content: Three girls on a ship.  
  
Disclaimer: Nothing's mine :(  
  
Distribution: Anywhere, as long as i am notified.  
  
Notes: Cordelia, Fred and Faith are sister.  
  
Chapter I  
  
Captain Angel Liam was pacing the cabin impatiently. The men were already busying themselves supplying the ship for the long trip. First to Africa, then all the way to Santo Domingo...   
  
Departure would only be in the morning, but he was tired of being ashore. The ship had undergone refitting for the last month, and he was itching to get back at sea, his only passion. Through the porthole, he could see the frigates of his majesty, and he admired them with envy. He had started as an officer in the royal navy and earned rapid promotions in battle, but eventually his youth had put a stop to his climb in ranks. Feeling that he deserved a better position, he had finally resigned his commission and offered his expertise to a merchant guild, which were always on the lookout for experienced seamen... He could see that one of the frigates was preparing to sail, already anchored in the bay, and it annoyed him even more.   
  
Maybe because his youth forced him to be more severe than most, or maybe it simply was in his nature, but everyone soon knew him as one of the toughest captains around. He ran his ship severely, using the military model with zeal. For this reason, the men knew better than to cross him. However, seamen were the tough kind themselves, and conflicts, sometimes violent, could not be avoided completely.  
  
Presently, he heard clamors outside the cabin and grunted at the disturbance. Captain Liam was not the only one distracted by the sudden noises. On the docks, four women were waiting for a small embarkation, already on its way, coming from the frigate. The three youngest ones were immediately alerted by the clamors, while the oldest, their mother, only gave it a passing look and returned her attention to the coming transport. Subsequently, they witnessed a skirmish between two sailors on a nearby cargo ship. Another man, obviously an officer, was trying to separate them, but they were oblivious to his orders, while the skirmish was quickly transforming into an all out fight. Then suddenly, they stopped, and it took a moment for the girls to understand why, as the first officer had been shoved to the side, and did not try to intervene again. The seamen were now looking toward the bridge, and they both seemed to recoil in fear.  
  
The first officer seeing the change in their attitude seemed to know what was happening because he looked in the same direction and walked quickly toward it. Only then did the girls notice a tall man, in an impeccable uniform, standing straight and looking directly at the guilty sailors. They could not really see his expression at this point or what he looked like, but the worry on the sailors' faces was enough to tell them that he must have been furious.  
  
Even when the first officer came near him, he still stared at the two sailors for a while longer, and those two took a step back.   
  
Then, he finally turned to his fellow officer: "What happened Mr. Wyndam-Pryce?"  
  
Wesley Wyndam-Pryce answered nervously: "Nothing to worry yourself about Captain. Just a disagreement about a wager..."  
  
"I always worry when the men put themselves ahead of the work to be done." He answered severely.   
  
The first officer was new to this ship, but heard that the last one had actually quit. At the moment, he had no problem figuring out why. He knew, without being told, that the captain was holding him responsible for the disturbance, and wondered how the trip would go with such a bad start. Nevertheless, he knew better than to show fear to a superior.   
  
Captain Liam looked him up and down and seemed mildly satisfied, because he continued:  
  
"Well, these two men will have to know the consequences of their actions. On my ship, people disagree on their own time. See to it that they each receive 20 lashes and then be confined for 3 days. But not before today's work is done." He added in the same hard tone of voice. Then, he simply turned around and went back to his cabin, ignoring the look of dismay on his first officer's face.   
  
The girls had no idea on what had been said, but it obviously was appalling, given the way the younger officer stared at his superior. Still, Fred, the middle sister was not quite as impressed by his expression as she was by his looks.  
  
Her younger sister's question interrupted her reveries: "Who was that man?"  
  
Fred was still staring at the officer, now on his way back toward the combatants, and she just answered: "I don't know who he is, but I sure wish that I did..."  
  
Cordelia followed the direction of her gaze and smiled teasingly: "See something you like?"  
  
Fred shook herself and looked back at her sister with a slight blush coloring her delicate features. "Oh Cordelia, huh well..."  
  
Cordelia pursued: "Come on sister, don't be shy..."  
  
Fred shrugged with embarrassment. She was rather timid by nature and regretted letting this comment escape her lips. Her sister would not let her forget it.  
  
"Well anyway, I have eyes to see," Cordelia added with a wink, " but he wasn't the one I was referring to..."  
  
Fred looked at her questioningly: "Who then?"  
  
Cordelia smiled anew: "I was talking about the captain, the one who made your beau squirm..."  
  
Fred answered with irritation this time: "Cordelia stop that. I was just saying that he seemed like a nice man, that's all..."  
  
Cordelia: "Yeah, yeah! Well that still doesn't answer my question..."  
  
A young man, who had been watching them admiringly for a little while, saw his chance to talk to them at this point and came forward with the answer: "He's Captain Liam... A very tough captain at that... He has a reputation for being very severe with his men. I would not want to be one of these two sailors, really."  
  
Cordelia turned to him with some interest, and he smiled happily, now that he had her attention. Cordelia almost took a step back at seeing his teeth, which were in very bad shape. The man was altogether unkempt, as were many of the ones busying themselves on the docks and toward various ships. Still, her curiosity compelled her to ask more... "Thanks sir. I wonder... What kind of cargo does that ship transport? It's a pretty big ship..."  
  
The man took another step forward, all too happy to satisfy her curiosity. "Oh, that is a slave trader."  
  
Her expression changed quickly, and the man saw that she was appalled at this revelation.  
  
"Slaves?" She exclaimed. Then turning back to her sisters: "Oh my, I had not thought of this. Of course, there would be some of those," she said with barely contained anger.  
  
The spark of interest she had felt for the handsome Captain vanished at the thought of his trade.  
  
The man tried to get her attention again: "But I'm not serving on that ship, myself..."  
  
Cordelia barely acknowledged him anymore, and he went back to his observing post sheepishly.  
  
Faith, their older sister, finally intervened: "No matter, we will leave this place shortly and probably never come back. So, frankly let us get busy girls. The boat is almost here..."  
  
Fred sighed heavily, also disappointed by what she had learned. Of course, she also knew that their going to America would have made it difficult to meet that man anyway.   
  
Angel had noticed the girls while going back to his cabin, but not showed it in any way. He had simply thought that such pretty girls looked incongruous in this man's world. He told himself that he was not about to be distracted by any girl, let alone in front of the men. It was a question of discipline and dignity... However, once inside, he could not help looking out through the porthole giving on the docks. His curiosity went up a notch when he saw them embark on a small boat, which immediately sailed toward the frigate he had been watching earlier.  
  
"What would those girls be doing on a warship?" He wondered aloud. However, he shook it off, not willing to dwell on something that he could not get the answer to... He could have asked around, but his social skills were far from as refined as were his seafaring ones. What's more, he had never been one to idle talk. He even avoided the traditional supper with his crew, preferring to keep a distance from them. If to most, it seemed a very solitary life, he did not see things like that. In fact, rare were the times where he missed company. Moreover, on those occasions, it was only for a very masculine need. He turned away resolutely from the porthole. Putting the girls out of his mind, he instead thought of the very pleasant interlude he intended to have at their first destination. He reflected that his interest in those ladies must have been caused more by withdraw than anything else. In his country's port, he was much more careful about exposing his personal habits. Soon, they would be on the coast of Africa, where he knew that his need would be satisfied fully.  
  
In fact, his sexual appetite was the only thing, which told the men that he was human. Other than this, they just thought of him as totally devoid of emotions. That suited Angel just fine...  
  
The girls were looking nervously toward the frigate that would bring them all the way to America. Their father had insisted on them traveling with the Royal Navy rather than a civilian ship, as he was worried about the numerous attacks on those in the last few years. The Captain had been rather reticent to do this, but their father was a former admiral in the said Navy, and still had a strong influence. After retiring from the navy, he had decided to move to the Americas. He had visited on many occasions through his travels, and found himself falling in love with the new continent. His wife Joyce had stayed behind with their daughters until he had established himself and prepared the place for them. At last, it was time for them to rejoin him there, and as much as they were impatient to see their father, they still apprehended the long trip to get there.  
  
As they were coming closer to the large ship, Fred could not help expressing her doubts and fears: "I wonder what it will be like in America? They say that Indians live there and attack people viciously..."  
  
Faith: "Oh Fred, don't be stupid. Father already wrote to us about all of this. We will live in a big city and there are no Indian attacks there. I am more worried about the trip to get there." She added, almost in a whisper. She did not want the sailors who accompanied them to hear her comments. "I am not very comfortable traveling with military people..."  
  
Cordelia answered in the same covert tone of voice: "Come on Faith, daddy was in the navy too, and you are not scared of him..."  
  
Faith turned to her with a little irritation: "Think about it Cordelia. We will be on that ship, the only women there for over two months..."  
  
Fred opened wide eyes at the implication: "Faith, those men have respect for our father, I'm sure that they wouldn't..."  
  
Faith: "Let us not take any chances and stay together hey?"  
  
Joyce intervened calmly but firmly: "Girls, your father wouldn't have risked your safety. You know perfectly well that it is the reason why he wants us on this ship. Navy men are honorable, do not worry yourself like this."  
  
Faith turned sheepishly to her mother: "Of course, mother."  
  
She still had her doubts but she respected her mother's opinion. Besides, she knew that scaring her sisters too much, was not the answer.   
  
The men in the boat were careful not to stare or stand too close. The captain had given very precise instructions about them. It did not keep them from being intrigued by their passengers. It was not every day that beautiful women traveled on one of his majesty's military ships. In fact, for them it was definitely a first.   
  
However, no matter how pretty the sight, they were also worried, just as their superior officers had been. Navigating was a man's affair and women notoriously brought trouble on board...They were just hoping that this would not be the case.  
  
Upon setting foot on the deck, they were pleasantly greeted by the captain, which indicated to them a steward who accompanied them to their quarters. They found that the captain had gallantly vacated his own cabin for their benefit. The trip seemed less overwhelming to them all of a sudden, as they admired the relatively luxurious cabin.  
  
Soon after their arrival, the ship sailed and they were finally on their way, hopeful that everything would go as planned...  
  
Captain Liam's ship had been on the way for almost three days and they were now approaching their first destination. He was as happy as he ever was with this very lucrative trip. Their cargo hold was filled with goods to be exchanged in the first port, and upon their arrival at Santo Domingo, they would again exchange the slaves for an even more valuable cargo. The winds had been on their side and the first part of the voyage shorter than expected.  
  
However, his good mood was tampered when he saw a ship coming out of the port he was coming into. He recognized the same frigate that had left a day earlier than they, and it just brought back his regrets. He had no qualm about his cargo, whichever nature they were. However, being a Captain merchant was not what he had aspired to. He remembered his ambitions of the past with bitterness. As far as he could remember, he had wanted to go at sea. Even in his youth, working on his father's farm, it had been his greatest aspiration. His mother had passed away when he was sixteen, soon followed by his father. They had owned very little and, as he was an only child, it was to be his. Nevertheless, he had no ambition to live as a farmer for the rest of his life. So he had sold the farm soon after their passing, and used the money to come to the nearest harbor and hire himself on a navy ship. The captain of the said ship had been reluctant at hiring such a young boy with no experience, but Angel had been very convincing. What's more, he was tall and very strong for his age, and soon proved to be an invaluable element of the crew. His discipline, as well as his obvious love of the sea impressed the captain and his superior officers... After only a few years aboard, he had distinguished himself so much that he was promoted to the rank of officer. Then, however, his youth had proven to be a hinder to his career, as well as his lack of formal education. No matter how hard he tried to move up in the ranks afterward, it never happened. That was why he had eventually resigned. Still, watching the proud frigate now, he felt regrets, as he would never again be a part of the Navy. Part of him was also wondering vaguely about the girls he had seen, and he wondered if they were still aboard. Yet, he rejected the thought quickly. No time to dwell on this now more than before, he thought. Only then did he begin to wonder about the frigate's destination. The port that they were coming into was not notorious for any kind of trouble. However, the very nature of slave trading made it possible that a problem might have arisen there. He worried that his sojourn might not be as peaceful as he had anticipated. Then he reasoned that if the frigate was leaving, whatever problems there were, must have been dealt with... No matter he would know soon enough.  
  
  
  
Joyce had gotten very upset when she heard that they were taking a side trip toward Africa. However, the Captain had been inflexible, saying that they had important prisoners to bring back along with them. These were a few notorious pirates, which the American authorities were impatient to try. They had been a thorn in their sides for a while, and then fled to Africa. The British government had arranged for them to be returned, and it was his duty to complete this mission. Joyce did not rejoice at the idea, but had to comply, given the little choice that she had. On the other hand, her daughters were very curious about this continent, about which they had heard so many stories. They were somewhat deluded however when they got there, as it just seemed like a busy city. Moreover, they had seen a number of slaves obviously awaiting transport in an enclosure, and they suddenly felt that this place did not have the magic that they had hoped for...  
  
They still use the little time that they had ashore to buy a few trinkets and found that in spite of their first impression, the people there seemed very friendly. In fact, maybe a little too friendly, as many men had come too close for comfort, while smiling luridly at the girls.  
  
In the end, they were relieved to return to the ship.  
  
They arrived at the same time as the boat bringing in the prisoners. There were three of them and Faith could not help stare at one of them in particular. He was rather handsome, nothing like what she would have expected in a criminal. He stood tall in spite of the chains that were barring most of his movements, and she thought that he looked almost noble, no matter what she believed that she knew about him. As she was observing him, he turned to her, and incongruously almost smiled at her. She jumped but did not look away, surprising herself. It had been very fleeting, but she had read something in his eyes that gave her pause.   
  
Only when the three men were led toward the lower deck did she return her attention toward her sisters. These two were looking curiously at her.  
  
Cordelia was the first to ask, always the most outspoken: "What was that Faith?"  
  
"What do you mean," she replied, feigning ignorance.  
  
"Oh come on," Cordelia insisted, "Fred was really obvious with her sailor a few days ago but you were even more intense..."  
  
Fred cast a somewhat angry look at her younger sister, not happy to be reminded of her indiscretion, but she did not comment, as she was just as curious about Faith's attitude.  
  
"I really don't see what you are talking about, I was just curious about the prisoners... It is not every day that we see criminals up close..." Then she added almost to herself: "And frankly, they are nothing like I imagined..."  
  
Cordelia smiled anew: "Uh oh..."  
  
Faith turned to her completely, this time with a little indulgent smile. She liked her sister a lot, although sometimes she could be a pain. Thus, the reproach that she uttered then sounded more like an amused banter: "Oh Cordelia, would you please leave it alone..."  
  
Cordelia just giggled but said nothing more.  
  
As they were moving on to their cabin, however, she reflected that her interest in her sisters' little crushes might have more to do with her inability to quash the image that she couldn't quite get rid of... Ever since the incident on the docks, the handsome captain had come to her mind more than once, to her utter irritation. First, even if he had not been someone that she despised for his activities, he would still have been unattainable for the distance. Yet, no matter how many arguments she had with herself, he persisted in invading her thoughts frequently. Once more, she tried to shrug away the rush of feelings that he had inspired in her, and she decidedly entered the cabin, determined to forget about him this time.  
  
As they were docking, Captain Liam was standing on his bridge, watching the port for any sign of trouble. Or, that was what he was telling himself... Ever since he had watched the frigate leaving, he had tried to concentrate on the possible situation that he would find there, but could only wonder if the girls had stayed behind... They had looked like sisters to him, at least the three youngest ones, and very pretty, he admitted grudgingly. Again, even as he was surveying the docks, he wondered about the strange interest he had for them, and in particular for one of them that had seemed more vivacious than the other two. Still, he had never intended to be with one woman for life, and was not about to change his mind on the matter. His only love was the sea he tried again to convince himself. Women were just a pleasant distraction. He suddenly turned to his first officer in an out of character agitation:  
  
"I am going ashore... See to it that the cargo is unloaded quickly, and the hold prepared for the slaves. I'll be back later tonight."  
  
Wesley was not overly surprised, as he had no real idea on his captain's habits. However, some of the men looked curiously at him, as he went down the gangway. He usually had girls brought on the ship, as he seemed to abhor life on the land, and possibly much more exposing himself to the public scrutiny.   
  
This worried the sailors somewhat, as they wondered what might motivate him to leave the ship. Still, they knew that only their hard work would satisfy the captain. So even the more worried ones set it aside and started unloading the cargo.  
  
His first stop was for the port authorities, where he intended at least to verify if anything was amiss. The Captain's visit startled the commissioner as well, since he usually had to go onboard to complete the transactions. Captain Liam had never graced the commissioner's office with his visit and it got him nervous.  
  
"No sir, nothing is the matter. Although, we did get a frigate coming in to pick up some pirates... They actually left not long ago... Was that the reason for your concerns?"  
  
Angel just answered curtly: "I am in no way concerned sir. Simply cautious... The company that I work for would not appreciate any kind of delay, no more than I would."  
  
The commissioner was much older than Angel, but still felt intimidated by him somewhat. The captain inspired something akin to fear in most people, as they could sense danger emanating from him. As if they knew, that he was containing his temper at great efforts.  
  
"Rest assured, Captain. There won't be any delay, and you will be able to sail with your cargo tomorrow afternoon at the most."  
  
Angel just nodded and took leave of the man brusquely after signing the needed paperwork.  
  
Once outside, he hesitated between going back to the ship and the urge to look around. Almost without thinking, he started toward the more animated part of town. He found himself scrutinizing the few European women that he met and finally got angry with himself.  
  
"What is the matter with me," he almost uttered aloud. Decisively this time, he moved toward the house of a Madam that was in the habit of supplying him with women. He had only visited the place once before to set an account with her, but still remembered where it was located. The lady of the house seemed to recognize him immediately even though, he only met her once. He was the kind of man that women tended not to forget. She immediately showed him to her tacky salon, where girls were lazily waiting around with what passed for clothing, but was mostly meant to show off the merchandise.   
  
She showed him to a comfortable chair and immediately offered him a brandy. She might not have met him more than those two times but she knew him to be a very good customer of hers, nevertheless. A few of the girls knew him from previous visits and although he tended to be rough on occasions, they still were interested, as he usually was one to give generous bonus afterward. A few approached him tentatively, but for some reason that day, he found that none of those was to his liking. He finally realized that he was looking for a particular look and the anger rose again in him.   
  
More to prove something to himself than because he actually felt the need anymore, he set down the glass and got up quickly. Grabbing the first girl in front of him by the arm, and pulling her roughly toward the back room, he did not wait for her to undress as he pushed her down on him, never even looking at her. The girl was startled at first but she was used to all kind of manners of men. Soon, she expertly got an arousal from him and for a short moment he forgot all about the other girl, pulling the prostitute to him and throwing her roughly on the bed before he took his pleasure with her quickly.  
  
He then dressed up without a word and threw some coins at her before going out of the room with an odd sense of unfulfilled longing. He could not admit to himself that he was responsible for his own lack of satisfaction, and almost did not pay the Madam on his way out. Only his sense of honor prevented him from doing just that.   
  
Only years of discipline and the habit of ignoring his emotions allowed him to repress the confusion that he felt by the time he got back to his ship. He promised himself then and there, that he would not be thinking of that girl again...  
  
The frigate was only about a hundred miles at sea when the weather changed radically. Squalls were hitting the captain's cabin window furiously and he could see the surf growing in size steadily. He considered going around the storm, but he decided in the end that his ship was solid and good enough to face bad weather, moving further into the depression.  
  
Cordelia felt sick to her stomach soon after the beginning of the storm; this mixed in with fear made her utterly uncomfortable. Her sisters were no better, and neither was Joyce. Their father might have been in the Navy, but if he was a seafarer, obviously Cordelia thought that it had not been passed on to them in the least. Soon the luxurious cabin started to feel like a prison to them, one that would be thrown side to side mercilessly.  
  
In the lower deck, the prisoners were also worried about the situation: "Well, I'm guessing that we might not have to wait for the rope to die," said Spike, the man that had caught Faith's fancy. "This captain is crazy," he pursued somewhat nervously. The other two simply nodded, just as nervously. The three of them were used to be at sea and even to bad weather, but usually they were in control of their vessels. This inability to control their environment added to their concern.  
  
At least, they had removed the chains before locking them up in the small cell that was to be their quarter for the duration of the voyage. Right now, they felt like the walls were closing in on them. Moreover, after a while they heard loud cracking noises that did nothing to reassure them. Outside the cell, they heard a different sound, just as loud, which told them that some barrels must have broken loose from their moorings. To the three of them, Spike's gloomy prediction seemed increasingly real.   
  
Fifty feet waves washed the upper deck repeatedly, a few sailors having already been lost at sea. The captain became increasingly desperate, as he could see that in spite of his efforts, the ship was breaking apart. After one more hit from a particularly large wave, he heard a louder cracking sound coming from the center of the ship. He turned to see the mast coming down toward the bridge and barely had time to move aside. A few of the officers were not as fortunate and died on the spot. This included the helmsman as the mast had fallen directly on the helm, taking away his control of the ship effectively. No matter, since he could already imagine the gaping hole in the hull. It did not take long to confirm this, as he could feel the ship being pulled irremediably by the weight of the water filling it quickly.  
  
In the cell, the men were now certain that the end was near, as they saw water seeping rapidly under the door. Only by luck did they avoid drowning then. One of the barrels that had been loosened earlier came crashing in the door, breaking it opened. At first, an onslaught of water pushed the men toward the back of the cell but as this one was filling, they managed to swim out of it.   
  
The captain knew that he could not do anything to save the ship, and sent the only officer left with him to find the ladies and try to get them to a canoe. In this storm, he had little hope that they would survive, but their chances were still better than if they stayed on the sinking ship.  
  
The very nervous officer did not have to tell them twice, as they were already aware that something had gone terribly wrong. He advised them to hold on to whatever they could find on the way, as the waves were still pounding on the deck mercilessly. After a long and unnerving trek, they finally came to the canoe. They had enormous difficulties embarking as the ship swerved dangerously under their feet. The officer waited until they had tied themselves in the boat fearfully. Then he started lowering it toward the furious sea... They were almost to it, when they stopped in midair. Only moments later, they saw the officer practically flying off the deck and plunging heavily in the sea. He never reappeared. The girl screamed of fright at the sight, then, even louder when they spotted the three men quickly coming down the rope toward them... Faith soon recognized the pirate that she had seen before they left Africa. For some reason, it calmed her down some, although, she knew that she had no reason to trust him.   
  
One of them pulled a saber that they assumed he must have taken from the officer, and cut the rope at once. The canoe fell heavily toward the water and the men quickly paddled away from the sinking ship, as the women huddled fearfully. 


End file.
